Darling Nikki is Rebellious Magazine’s resident sex toy reviewer. While she writes her reviews from the perspective of a cisgender woman, she wants to remind her readers that any sex toy can be for any body!
The first toy I was ever given to sample was a Le Wand, a fancy new wand-style vibrator. At the time, I was a die-hard Magic Wand Rechargeable (MWR) fan, so I was surprised when I liked Le Wand as much as I did. Le Wand is marketed as a newer, better version of the Magic Wand, and I can’t say that I agree with that. For one, it’s $170 to the MWR’s $125 and it is definitely not as rumbly, if that’s what you’re into—though it does offer 10 power levels to the MWR’s four. However, I found myself reaching for Le Wand over the MWR every once in awhile. I liked that it had lower settings; even the MWR’s first setting might be too powerful for some. For the record, all of this was before my pelvic floor issues and pelvic pain, so at this point in time, I’m not really able to use either of these toys. When I could use Le Wand, I chose it because the two lowest settings could get me off, and, because they were gentle, my clitoris didn’t get quite so sensitive during orgasm. I could comfortably keep the wand’s head against my body, riding the waves of pleasure, rather than pulling the vibrator away immediately after orgasm because my clit got too overwhelmed.
Since then, though, two mini wands have hit the market. One is the Doxy Number Three (currently discontinued in the U.S.) and the other is Le Wand Petite. The amazing folks at Peepshow Toys offered both of these toys for me to review. I want to focus on Le Wand Petite, so very briefly, a few words about the Doxy #3: It’s beautiful. The body is brushed aluminum, it has a removable silicone head for easy cleaning, and it’s sturdy. I was so excited to try it but because it’s corded, it’s just just too. Damn. Powerful. The lowest setting feels like it’s going to sandblast my clit right off, and it’s not available in the U.S. right now anymore anyway.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, Le Wand Petite. I was honored to get one of the first Le Wand Petites (Peepshow Toys sent me one before it was even off to distributors) and let me tell you, the first words out of my mouth when I opened the lid and saw it sitting in the box: “It’s so fuckin’ CUTE!” It comes in two colors—a pretty rose gold and a gorgeous shade of violet. Le Wand Petite is about 10 inches long, and the handle is about 4 and a half inches in circumference, so about an inch and a half in diameter. It’s incredibly lightweight. I’ve gotten used to weightier toys or toys that are a little more cumbersome (like my Eroscillator, which plugs in), so a lighter, but still high quality toy, is a nice change. Le Wand Petite has three buttons that are easy to use—the + turns it on and up (10 power levels), the — turns it down and off, and the button in the center changes patterns (six different patterns).
The quality of the vibrations isn’t going to be for everyone. It starts so much lower than the Doxy #3, which mostly was a hit with reviewers. Buzzier vibrations (as opposed to deeper, rumblier ones) are usually frowned upon, but the truth is that some people prefer buzzier toys! And they shouldn’t feel bad about themselves or their bodies because they do. I personally prefer rumbly vibrations, but Le Wand Petite’s lower settings offer something between rumbly and buzzy, and it works great for me. It’s like a buzz with an underlying rumble. Similar to the original Le Wand, it isn’t so powerful that it overwhelms my clit during and after orgasm.
I don’t actually have much to say about Le Wand Petite as it’s a pretty simple toy. There have been a couple of mini wands available for awhile but I’ve only had the pleasure of testing these two recent releases. I can’t take how cute and pretty Le Wand Petite is, and it would make a great gift (especially for bridal showers!). I have one criticism, though. When I first received Le Wand Petite and ended up really liking it, I told my partner that I hope it’s not more than $100—a price point that I think is pretty good for a rechargeable, gift-able, luxury vibe. I was disappointed when I saw that it’s $135. If someone is going to drop $135 on a sex toy, chances are they may just spring an extra $35 for a larger, more powerful version of the same toy—unless they specifically want something small, either because they need something lightweight or they want to travel with it. Both Le Wand models do come with nice carrying cases (they also come with a how-to guide for new wand users).
But the question is, do I think Le Wand Petite is worth $135? It’ll be worth it for some people. I’ve always been one OK with wielding large toys between bodies during partnered sex (a lot of folx want smaller toys for that, but any sex toy can be a couples’ toy if you’re determined enough!), but it’s nice to have the option of a smaller wand. Furthermore, it’s the fact that Le Wand Petite actually has some lower power settings that sells it for me. There are some folx who could really find what they’re looking for in Le Wand Petite, but if you like power, need all rumble all the time, and are able to resist a shiny purple vibrator, you probably won’t get much out of it.
Columnist’s full disclosure: I wouldn’t be able to provide quite as many reviews without the occasional generosity of manufacturers and, sometimes, online retailers whose missions I can get behind [insert obligatory sex joke here]. However, my reviews are always honest and unbiased.
This month I’d like to thank Peepshow Toys for providing Le Wand Petite for review!